Electrical jackstraws game apparatus



Jan. 25, 1949. N; PENT| E 2,460,146

ELECTRICAL JACKSTRAWS GAME APEARATUS Filed NOV. 12, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 25, 1949 ELECTRICAL JACKSTRAWS GAME APPARATUS James M. Prentice, South Hadley, Mass.

Application November 12-, 1947, Serial No. 785,486

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a game apparatus and is directed particularly to the provision of'an electrical jackstraws game apparatus device which provides entertainment for the users thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide a game device which employs the feature of a si nal such as a bulb which is energized by a dry battery when a contact is made between certain elements of the combination as the same is operated as a game. It is another object to provide such a device with characteristics sufiicient to make a game or toy therewith by which means an element of skill is required to be exerted in order to play successfully. 7

It is still another object of am invention to provide a game device which is simple in its operation so as to appeal to a maximum of players of a variety of ages and is economical in its manufacture so as to render it suitable for marketing at costs lower than usually prevailing for intricate game devices of the same general class.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the game device of the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the device with certain elements thereof being partially broken away and in section for purposes of disclosure; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

My device consists of a receptacle member I having the conventional side wall Iii, bottom wall 52, and a cover member 54. The receptacle i may be made in any desired shape although in the form shown it is cylindrical and is adapted to have the cover member M in threaded engagement with the upper portion of the side wall i9 substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

The member i may be made from any desired material although it is preferably made of a nonconductive or dielectric material such as paper,

wood, or hard rubber, and has its lower or bottom wall 12 formed from a metallic material.

The closure or cover it has a plurality of apertures i5 extending therethrough for purposes as will presently be described and said cover mem her is preferably made from metal so as to be adapted to conduct electric current.

Within the receptacle a container or holder i8 is disposed which has a side wall 29. The container is centrally disposed within the receptacle iii and the bottom portion thereof is secured in come suitable manner to the wall 12.

The container i8 is cylindrical in shape and is adapted to receive a dry battery 24 therein.

A sleeve 58 has a side wall 35 which is made from non-conducting material, and an upper support M or platform on which jackstraws may be placed. The support 34 is made from metal 3 3" and has an upper covering 34' of a nonmetallic material.

The sleeve i3 is slidably received in the receptacle l and its lower end rests on the wall [2 while its upper platform is disposed below the closure It.

A metal strip Eli is secured to wall it! and is arranged to contact with part 34" of the platform of the support 3 3 and with closure M.

A contact I6 is provided on the bottom wall 28 on which the lower end of the battery 24% rests. A socket 38 is electrically connected to platform member 34 for an electric bulb 36.

A flexible conductor l'l extends from contact i ii and has a tweezer electrically connected to its free outer end.

It will be understood that a buzzer or bell or other kind of signal may be substituted for the bulb 35.

A plurality of jackstraws 40 are provided which are adapted to be inserted through openings I5 of the closure and Withdrawn. Some of the jackstraws may be made from metal and others may be made from some non-conducting material.

The jackstraws iii are placed on the platform 34 in a more or less haphazard manner. The tweezer is manually grasped and its end inserted through any one of the openings so as to grasp and withdraw successive jackstraws therethrough.

Should the tweezer or a jackstraw of metal engage closure it a circuit will be completed so as to energize signal 36.

Various rules may be devised for playing a game having as a purpose the withdrawal of jackstraws without energizing the signal.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A jackstraw game comprising in combination, a support for a plurality of jackstraws, a closure over and spaced from said support having openings therethrough for the passage of jackstraws onto and from said support, a plurality of jackstraws some of which are made from conductive material and being adapted to be inserted through and withdrawn from said support, said closure being made from conductive material, an electrically operated signal, a source of electrical energy, electrical connections between said closure, signal, source of energy providing a normally open electric circuit and having a flexible conductor provided with a manually manipulatable tweezer on a free end thereof formed from conductive material, all adapted whereby said tweezer may be inserted through an opening of said closure to engage one of said jackstraws and arranged so that if said tweezer or one of said conductive jackstraws engaged thereby contacts said closure a circuit is closed and said signal is energized.

2. An electrical jackstraws game comprising in combination, a plurality of jackstraws, a support for said jackstraws, a closure formed from a conductive material over said support provided with a plurality of openings through which said jackstraws may be withdrawn, an electrically operated signal, a source of electrical energy, electrical connections between said closure and source of energy and signal providing a normally open circuit, said electrical connections including a manually manipulatable tweezer adapted to be inserted through an opening in said closure and to engage one or more of said jackstraws for withdrawing same through the openings, all adapted and arranged whereby if said tweezer or one of said jackstraws engaged thereby contacts said closure a circuit is closed and said signal is energized.

3. An electrical jackstraws game comprising in combination, a plurality of jackstraws some of which are made from a conductive material, a support for said jackstraws, a closure formed from a conductive material and disposed over said support and provided with an opening through which said jackstraws may be withdrawn, an electrically operated signal, a source of electrical energy, electrical connections between said closure and source of energy and signal providing a normally open circuit and including a manually manipulatable tweezer adapted to be inserted through the opening in said closure and to engage one of said jackstraws for withdrawing it through the opening, all adapted and arranged whereby if said tweezer or one or more of said jackstraws engaged thereby contacts said closure a circuit is closed and said signal is energized.

JAMES M. PRENTICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 2,039,121 Semple Apr. 28, 1936 2,244,015 MacKinnon June 3, 1941 

